time flies

I can't believe it's already November. It feels like just yesterday my parents were here helping me move in (and paying for everything...). Even thought it's fall already, it doesn't look like it at all here--it's sunny most of the time, freezing at night, and no pretty fall colors like North Carolina. However, things have been moving swiftly at City Year and I'm really enjoying the work that I get to do.

We had 2 service days at the end of last month, one with FOX, SAG, ICM, and EIF, and the other with ABC Daytime, Soapnation, & Disney. Here is a YouTube video from the first event--I may or may not have a cameo in this one...

The service days were hugely successful and super fun. Also, here is an article from November 9th that was on the front page of the Washington Post ("From Young Volunteers to Civic Leaders") written by Max Klau, City Year's Director of Leadership Development, to raise awareness of the growing importance of national service as a leadership pipeline.

Currently, I am working on recruiting 200 volunteers for our service day this Saturday out in Southeast LA. It has shown me that recruiting on a college campus is MUCH different (and a bit easier) than recruiting among one's own community. Volunteers are steadily coming in so I'm trying to remain optimistic. In January, we have a HUGE service project for MLK Jr. Day and I'll have to engage and recruit 1000 volunteers so I'm trying to use this upcoming service day as a practice round/trial period (while continually crossing my fingers and saying prayers along the way).

In other news, I am officially signed up to take the GRE on Saturday, December 12th and am also taking a Princeton Review Express Online Course in hopes of doing really well! So on top of working 9-12 hrs days, I have to study for the GRE. It's definitely keeping me on my toes but I'm counting down the days until I get my life back.

Here are some photos from our last 2 service days:



























And as always, I'm slowly but surely working on my patience. I'm learning so much about the various aspects of working with a team of somewhat similar but also very different individuals. Although some days it is more challenging than I envisioned, it also keeps things interesting and fun.

Here's my quote of the month: "It's important to have confidence in what you know and what you can do. You can't make decisions effectively without confidence. It's equally important to be realistic about what you don't know and what you can't do; without realism, confidence is hubris."